Leeds clinic transforming how male fertility is tested for IVF treatment
“This can help men who are about to embark on fertility treatment with their partner, by alleviating the anxiety and worry that providing a sample in the clinic can cause”
A Leeds clinic has paved the way to transform how male fertility is tested for IVF treatment.
Create Fertility in Leeds is the first clinic to use a male home test kit prior to a couple starting their fertility treatment.
The clinic started using the home test kit Sapyen in July 2025, being the first clinic in the UK to do so. Many couples in Leeds and the surrounding area have now used it at CREATE Fertility Leeds.
Fertility experts believe it will change and improve the test experience for men. Rather than producing a sample in a clinical environment in the hospital or fertility clinic, the patient can perform this in the comfort of their own home.
Dr Mark Sedler, lead fertility consultant at CREATE Fertility Leeds, said: ”It is an exciting development, and we are thrilled to be now offering this service to our patients.
“This can help men who are about to embark on fertility treatment with their partner, by alleviating the anxiety and worry that providing a sample in the clinic can cause.’“
It also helps with delays in booking semen analysis in the clinic setting.’
Ash Ramachandran, CEO of Sapyen, said: ‘Sapyen first launched its home fertility testing in Australia in 2021, and has since expanded internationally. Create Fertility in Leeds was the first clinic in the UK to adopt it, and we are now seeing growing uptake across the country.’
A semen analysis test is the only way to check the fertility potential of sperm. Male infertility often results from issues with the sperm such as low count, suboptimal sperm motility, reduced amount of normal sperm, or overall poor sperm quality.
Around one in six couples face trouble conceiving, with up to half having an issue related to male factors.
The Sapyen test kit is posted out to the couple, the sperm sample is produced at home and sent to the laboratory for analysis. A detailed semen analysis test report is provided within 72 hours.
Dr Sedler said: ‘Male fertility needs assessing before any fertility treatment can begin, as we need to identify any potential issues that may prevent a couple conceiving. This also helps to plan the most appropriate treatment aiming to optimise the chances of pregnancy.’